Editorial: It's Almost Over

While the intensity of the 2009 election (added to the frenzy of 2008 election) might have left many voters with a sense of fatigue, please get out and vote on Election Day. The more local the election, the more impact the issues discussed will likely have on your day-to-day life.

The Loudoun Independent has not endorsed candidates for the 2009 elections. It’s our belief that doing so inserts our own editorial opinions between the voters and the candidates. It’s a tempting proposition and is a regular debate in our editorial meetings. Instead of endorsing candidates, we recommend that you do a bit of your own research on the relevant issues and where the candidates stand—hopefully allowing you to discover which candidate most mirrors your own views on the majority of issues.

Given the tremendous voter outreach that is underway by each campaign, we can only suggest that when you receive calls and mailers this week, ask the candidates and their representatives for specifics on their plans for Virginia. It is all well and good for a campaign to represent their beliefs and priorities—it’s likely more valuable to hear how these candidates plan to take these priorities and move them into reality.

Try to look past personal charisma, appearance, rhetoric and even party affiliation to find a delegate, governor, lieutenant governor or attorney general who you trust and who you believe will best perform in the position. There is a large number of candidates, each exceptional in their own way, and each with a genuine desire to serve the Commonwealth. It will take a bit of research and soul-searching to determine which candidate is right for you.

As often happens during election season, a large number of letters were received in support of one candidate or another. While the letters published here are limited due to space, a full listing of all letters to the editor will be available online at www.loudouni.com.